| Type |
Definition |
Purpose |
| Cut |
A cut is where there is an immediate shift from one
scene to the next scene. It could also be called an ‘absence’
of a transition. |
This is the most common and simplest type of transition.
It is often used when the camera changes angle or position
in a scene and when the director does not want to draw
attention to the change of scene. |
| Fades |
A fade-in has the image gradually coming
in from a black screen. A fade-out has
the image gradually vanishing into a black screen. The
fade colour is usually black. |
A fade is often used at the beginning and the end of
a movie. They can be used to show the end of a sequence
or imply a passage of time. A fade to red suggests blood.
A fade to white usually indicates an explosion. A fade
to blue suggests water or the ocean. |
| Wipe |
A wipe gradually replaces one scene with another. |
A wipe creates a noticeable break between the scenes. |
| Dissolve |
A dissolve layers a new image over the old image. The
new image’s brightness gradually increases until
the transition is complete. |
A dissolve is common in movies and produces a soft transition.
A short dissolve can take the edge of the cut while a
long dissolve can indicate a passage of time. |
| Freeze |
A single frame played continuously to give the illusion
of a frozen image. |
It is often used to end a film (as in Butch Cassidy
and the Sundance Kid. It gives an emotional note
to the finale of the film. |
and a pinwheel wipe! 
